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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Bench Press Battle Goes Viral After Snapping at Son
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is making headlines, not for a policy announcement, but for a very public-and very awkward-attempt at showing off his strength. A video he posted of himself bench-pressing, complete with a stern warning to his son, has exploded across social media, much to the amusement and criticism of online commentators.
The viral moment began as a competitive response to a post by the Navy Football team, which showcased their players working out at the U.S. Naval Academy gym. The “hype” video, featuring shirtless men and enthusiastic cheers, prompted Hegseth, a former Army serviceman and “Fox and Friends” host, to demonstrate how the Army’s longtime rival should really hit the weights.
The DOW Rapid Response account shared Hegseth’s video, which featured the Defense Secretary and his 15-year-old son, Gunner. Dressed in a camouflage t-shirt and maroon sweatpants, Hegseth geared up for a display of masculine might.
“All right, here we go,” he declared. “For the detail, three plates and Gunner, on the spot.”
Preparing to bench press a hefty 315 pounds, the 45-year-old exclaimed, “Long time coming. Let’s go.”
His son, Gunner, stood by, ready to assist if needed. As Hegseth psyched himself up, he muttered, “Gotta keep the butt down.
Gotta keep the butt down, if I can.” Then, in a moment that quickly became the video’s most talked-about, he snapped at his son, “Now, don’t lift-I got it!”
As he struggled to lift the barbell, Hegseth repeatedly told his son, “I’ve got it, I’ve got it,” even bouncing the weight off his chest. Unfortunately for the Secretary, his butt visibly lifted off the bench, a cardinal sin in proper bench-pressing form. When the weight proved too much, Gunner instinctively reached out to help.
“Don’t touch it,” the Trump official barked at his son, before letting out a triumphant scream as he finally managed to rack the weight. A woman, believed to be Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer Rauchet, can be heard in the background saying, “You did it, babe.”
The internet, predictably, wasted no time in reacting. Comments flooded in, ranging from calls for Hegseth to focus on his job to outright mockery.
“Bro, go do your job,” one user stated. Another chimed in, “Anything but doing your job.
This has to be one of the saddest things I’ve seen from a Cabinet official.” A third person laughed, “Bro struggled.
I can do that 10+ reps …. on the incline bench, which is way harder. Stop acting tough & go do your job.”
The Weight of the Military
Hegseth’s bench-press misadventure comes on the heels of his strong stance on military fitness. In March, he vowed that the U.S. Army would be “fit, not fat,” expressing dissatisfaction with the current physical condition of some service members.
On his own X account, Hegseth declared, “Our troops will be fit – not fat. Our troops will look sharp – not sloppy.
We seek only quality – not quotas.” He concluded his post with a clear directive: “BOTTOM LINE: Our Department of Defense will make standards HIGH & GREAT again – across the entire force.”
While his intentions for a fit military may be clear, his recent viral video has certainly added a new, and unexpected, dimension to the conversation.